In the process of setting up my studio space in the Langley Arts Council Building on Fraser Highway in Langley. Please come and visit. Open Monday through Saturday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. I will be working in my studio space Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays 10:30 to 4:30. Drop by for a visit. Would love to see you.

The theme for the first show of the year for the Fort Langley Artist Group is "Furs, Fins, and Feathers." Normally this is not my subject matter preference but after recently taking a trip to Mexico I fell in love with pelicans on our fishing trip. You just cannot help but smile when you see these incredible birds. I have been working on this 36" X 36" canvas for the show and am almost done.

Tomorrow I head back to my home in Fort Langley. I cannot believe that almost a week has gone by since I arrived at my Beach Box. As usual I will miss the sound of the ocean until I return.

My studio space at the Beach Box is my favourite room in the house with windows overlooking the water on both sides. The light is wonderful and the room warm and cozy. Being a morning person I am up early stoking the fire and after breakfast and coffee I have been getting right into painting. Yesterday I painted for 7 hours straight before going for halibut dinner at my neighbours. It was a wonderful day.

I have been so excited to go and spend almost an entire week painting at my Beach Box Studio in Sooke overlooking Juan de Fuca Strait. This is my view to the east off my deck. I arrived late Tuesday with my Subaru stuffed full of canvases, paints, and easels. My goal is to paint all day without distractions and visit my beach neighbours and friends in the evening. Yesterday I was able to paint for 6 hours straight without interruption and had dinner in Sooke. Makes me so happy.

This week I was lucky enough to have a 2 day one-on-one workshop with one of my favourite impressionist landscape artists Perry Haddock. Perry's impressionist loose painterly style comes from his keen eye of observation and his use of confident broad strokes in a bright, chromatic palette. My good friend Brenda Alberts, owner of the Birthplace of BC Gallery in Fort Langley was kind enough to provide studio space.

I spent 8 hours of my day yesterday taking a beginner's portraiture class with Robert Barrett of the Neighbourhood Art Studio. The class consisted of a maximum of 5 students allowing us to have full view of the model. After a brief coffee and snacks we got right into it with the famous Bob's Law. (This has been drilled into my brain for 2 years now and I still struggle to remember it word for word.)

If we did not remember we were jokingly "boo'd" at. I don't think any of us passed Bob's Law test. His famous law states..........."You never make a mark unless that mark is related to something that already exists!"

Although I do not plan on painting portraits I found this class to be invaluable for learning techniques to compare distances, angles, positive and negative space, proportions of the face along with blending skin tones. Now if only I could find the time to practice.

I have recently rented studio space at the newly reopened Langley Arts Council "Artists in Residence Gallery". This 15,000 sq.ft., two story building will feature galleries on both floors. In addition to 30 artists in residence the space will allow the Arts Council to offer seminars, art talks, workshops, small theatre productions, poetry slams, receptions and other events and programs. A small stage area on the lower gallery has been constructed to enable live music and other performances on a daily basis and hope to have a piano there soon. The gallery will be open from 10am to 5pm, Monday through Saturday, starting January 28th, 2013.